# Is "Collected Poems 1947-1980" by Allen Ginsberg a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Collected Poems 1947-1980 by Allen Ginsberg (Harper & Row, 1984) is identified by: Harper & Row, New York, 1984; full black cloth stamped in gilt, xxii and 838 pages including index, in an unclipped red printed dust jacket (jacket design by Julie Metz) that should retain its printed price on the flap. Trade first is the 1984 Harper & Row hardcover in black cloth and red jacket; the signed limited is the premium issue.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Harper & Row, New York, 1984; full black cloth stamped in gilt, xxii and 838 pages including index, in an unclipped red printed dust jacket (jacket design by Julie Metz) that should retain its printed price on the flap
- The trade first states 'FIRST EDITION' with a full number line ending in 1
- A signed, numbered limited edition was also issued
- Publisher imprint reads Harper & Row
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Allen Ginsberg |
| Publisher | Harper & Row |
| Year | 1984 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Harper & Row, New York, 1984; full black cloth stamped in gilt, xxii and 838 pages including index, in an unclipped red printed dust jacket… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Harper & Row, New York, 1984; full black cloth stamped in gilt, xxii and 838 pages including index, in an unclipped red printed dust jacket (jacket design by Julie Metz) that should retain its printed price on the flap. The trade first states 'FIRST EDITION' with a full number line ending in 1. A signed, numbered limited edition was also issued.

## Is this the true first?
Trade first is the 1984 Harper & Row hardcover in black cloth and red jacket; the signed limited is the premium issue. A first Perennial Library paperback edition exists but is subordinate to the hardcover.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition; later printings and the paperback lack the stated 'FIRST EDITION' line and the full number line ending in 1.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Collected Poems 1947-1980* by Allen Ginsberg a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/collected-poems-1947-1980
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.